For Pervez Musharraf, the world changed on September 11, 2001. From that day onwards, he stopped being a pariah who had toppled a democratically elected government just two years before. For the West, he was the principal ally in the "war on terror".
Born in Delhi in 1943, Musharraf arrived in Pakistan in 1947. He joined the army in 1964, and rose through the ranks to become army chief in 1998. After his coup in October 1999, he portrayed himself as an "enlightened moderate" who would guide Pakistan towards a better future.
His popularity began to decline after he allied himself with the US in the "war on terror".
His approval ratings hit rock bottom when he suspended Chief Justice Ifthikhar Mohammad Chaudhry last year.
Television images of his police assaulting unarmed lawyers further weakened his position.
Things came to a head after his declaration of emergency rule on November 3, 2007. He later stepped down as army chief. But Benazir Bhutto's assassination on December 27, and the government's clumsy investigation, jeopardised the country's temporary stability.
But, for the foreseeable future, he will continue to be the most powerful man in Pakistan, whatever the result of the election.
